


The Hardware and the Software

by fandom_fiction



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Real World, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-20 15:06:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13720242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_fiction/pseuds/fandom_fiction
Summary: Hunk is a senior Mechanical Engineering major at Garrison University. Pidge is a sophomore in the Computer Science program with concentrations in Software Engineering and AI. When these gigantic nerds get together, it doesn't take long for their lives to get a little more interesting.





	1. A New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet New Year's Eve, Matt suspects something is up. After all, his baby sister is acting weird. But being the good big brother that he is, he promises not to tell.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Stow it, Matt!”

The aerospace engineer looked over his baby sister’s shoulder, trying to read the feed that seemed to fly past between the texting speeds of Pidge and the recipient on the other end. As he leaned over from behind the couch to get a closer look, the only further answer Matt got from his sister was a smack across the back of the head.

“Ow! Watch it, Pidge!”

Pidge glared at her older brother, stretching out onto the couch and trying to get into a better position to avoid Matt ruining what technically hasn’t happened yet. It was New Year’s Eve, and their parents had gone off to some party. Not really into the idea of a gathering with a bunch of adults (in Pidge’s case, people she didn’t know), the pair had decided to hang back and binge watch Doctor Who while they waited for the ball to drop.

She rolled her eyes at the pet name, trying to brush it aside. “You know I don’t like it when you call me that.”

Matt huffed, flopping down onto the couch next to her. “Sorry, _Katie_.” He corrected. “But you apparently don’t have a problem with anyone _else_ calling you the nick name _I_ gave you.”

“That’s different.” Pidge answered, still trying to get used to the idea of having these things called ‘friends’. She had never been opposed to it in school. In fact, she always wanted some- especially in middle and high school. But if you’re the biggest nerd the school has ever seen and sit on a level that even surpasses the honors students, then trying to have such a thing was better left until a new chapter of her life began.

The elder Holt sibling smirked, peering over at his younger sister. Pidge finally getting some friends the previous year as a freshman at Garrison University had become a huge deal. “Different, but still a big deal.” He pried. “And as your big bro, it’s important that I know these sorts of things. So, with that said, who is it?”

Pidge shot daggers towards Matt. “A friend from school.” She answered. “You know that.”

“Guy or girl?”

“Does it matter?” God, she had no time for this. No time for her big brother’s prying eyes, regardless of his good intentions.

Of course, her answer didn’t help matters, and the younger really should have thought twice.

Matt gave his classic Cheshire Cat smile… The one he always had whenever he was up to something. You know…. Like a _good_ big brother.

“Pidgey’s got a crush….”

“Shut. UP!” Pidge grabbed the nearest throw pillow, chucking it at her brother. Unfortunately for her, Matt slid out of the way and moved up behind her.  Apparently laying on the couch didn’t exactly mean you still had good aim.

However, Matt knew better than that. He knew his sister well enough to know that she wasn’t the social type. She wasn’t flirty. That she just preferred to keep everything on the down-low and roll with it. The young male knew well enough that is sister didn’t get turn red or get embarrassed easily, especially with friendly banter. It had to have meant _something_ for this kind of effect to take place on the computer science major… Being border-line antisocial, said presumed crush would HAVE to be one of her currently existing friends. And both of them knew she didn’t exactly have many- even at college. Now, for Pidge, it would have to be someone she’s comfortable around. Someone who she can trust _easily_ , which is probably the biggest compliment she could give without ever actually saying anything.

Hmmm….

“It’s Hunk, isn’t it?”

Pidge immediately looked up from her phone, cheeks burning red from the embarrassment… and the fact that her brother had actually deduced it out of her. “Maaaaatt!” She whined in protest. God, did her brother always have to make a big deal out of everything?!

Matthew laughed, reaching over and playfully messing with his sister’s short locks. She had gone off and cut her hair before starting at Garrison last year- mimicking his old hairstyle. Frankly, it probably suited more than it did him.

“Don’t sweat it, Pidge. Like the good big bro that I am, I promise I won’t tell.” He assured. “But being the good big bro that I am, that also means that that you’ve got to keep me updated.” With Pidge’s constant harassment in school here at home, Matt had quickly become protective of his little sister- even while he was attending Garrison University himself

The college student smiled, looking up at her older brother. The two of them have always kept a good relationship- keeping secrets with one another, coming up with their own code, and working on projects together; even when they were little. It was fun. Through the banter and his prying eyes Pidge knew that her brother always meant well.

“Thanks, Matt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, all of these chapters are going to be quite short. However, they're just little glimpses. All of these events HAVE actually happened, sometimes tweaked here and there to make a little more sense. My boyfriend and I are very much like Hunk and Pidge respectively, which inspired all this in the first place, but these are exactly the kinds of things that would actually happen between them
> 
> Hon, you are such a bright light in my life, and I am incredibly blessed to have you. You are the Yellow to my Green, and I couldn't possibly be luckier to have you in my life. Happy (belated) Valentine's Day. -Your Permanently Exhausted "Pidgeon"


	2. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being vertically challenged can certainly have it's downfalls. However, Pidge is smart enough to get around what comes her way.... Despite Hunk's protests.

“Thanks for coming over to help, Pidge. Mom would have stayed the weekend, but she got called into work for today and needed to leave last night.”

Pidge grinned, looking over at Hunk as she climbed out of the old yellow pickup. Though it looked like it could fall apart any moment, no one would have guessed how smoothly it still ran. He had gotten a small-off campus apartment right before the semester started, and she had come over to help her boyfriend put everything away.

“No problem.” She replied, moving to stand on the runners to reach for a carboard box. Curse her short arms. After a bit of maneuvering, she had pulled the vessel out and was soon trudging behind him. “I don’t have anything else to do since classes haven’t technically started yet, and it’s not exactly fair to have you do the rest by yourself.”

“You got a point. I mean, all the heavy lifting wasn’t a problem.” Hunk explained, pulling out his keys and unlocking the front door. “It’s just going through all the boxes and completing the ever so tedious task of putting everything away.”

The door opened, revealing boxes of all shapes and sizes- a pile of dismantled carboard boxes already stared by the front door. Though the apartment was a two-bedroom, Hunk had occupied the larger and made it his own little workshop. Despite the cheap price, it was actually halfway decent.

Pidge looked around, toeing off her shoes and sliding her coat over a kitchen chair. “So, what all do you have left to do?” She asked. “I mean, you said you already have some of it put away…”

The mechanical engineer shrugged. “Mainly kitchen and cleaning stuff.” He explained. “Got most things put away like clothes, and all my spare parts and things are in the mini shop. Speaking of which, I’m always up for hanging out and making a bot or two.”

Garrison University’s robotics team was how the air met in the first place the previous semester. Pidge had quickly joined and had helped Hunk out with the programming. It wasn’t long until the pair had been feared when it came to robot battles. After all, the shorter was concentrated in AI’s and software programming. It was a dangerous combination.

“Got it.” Pidge answered, setting the box down on the kitchen table just in time to catch a container of Lysol wipes. Aside from his make-shift work room, the kitchen was ultimately the older student’s pride and joy. Clearly it wasn’t going to be taken care of until the cabinets had been wiped down. Starting on her side, the techie immediately noticed the cupboards above the refrigerator that could easily be used for storage… At least for Hunk.

“Yeah, just wipe down the insides and stuff. Apparently, the previous renters trashed the place, so who knows what it’s like inside…” Hunk trailed off and looked over from the drawer he was wiping out, spotting the familiar determined smirk on his girlfriend’s face. Frankly, it was terrifying, and it didn’t help that she had immediately dragged a chair over and removed what little was on the fridge to the kitchen table.

“Pidge…”

“Yeah?” The shorter had pulled a wipe from the container, immediately walking across the room back over to the chair.

“Please don’t.”

The techie raised a brow, turning towards the engineer who was frozen with genuine concern. “Hunk, you know me by now.” She answered, climbing up onto the wooden chair and eyeing up the refrigerator. “Besides, I’m clearly not going to hurt the fridge.”

Hunk sighed, shaking his head and moving closer- torn between pulling Pidge off like a small child and helping her up. “I’m not worried about the fridge. I’m worried about my girlfriend climbing up a rather large appliance.”

“I’ll be fine.” Shaking her head, Pidge made the final calculations before hoisting herself up. The refrigerator wobbled a little, from the weigh suddenly on one side, but remained steady as she pulled herself up. The taller immediately rushed over to help her up, but Pidge was already sitting triumphantly on top of the refrigerator before he could do anything.

“Pidge, you know you could have just left that one alone, right?” He told her, trying to get the sophomore down from such a relatively high place compared to her small frame. “I mean, that cupboard probably won’t be used all that much…”

“Hunk, you know as much as I do that you will use up as much of this kitchen space as possible.” Pidge answered without hesitation, wiping down the cupboard in question with the Lysol wipe. Looking behind her, she ensured she was lined up with the chair before easing herself down before letting go- landing on the fridge altogether. “And see? I’m fine.” The shorter answered, jumping from the chair to the floor. “Now, come on- let’s finish unpacking so you can actually relax after all of this."


	3. Early Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Food has been a prominent aspect of their relationship. Pidge, however, can't wrap her mind around how someone can be hungry only two hours after lunch.

“What are you doing?”

Two minutes. Pidge had left the room for two minutes only to find Hunk standing in the kitchen by the microwave. Frankly, it had her at a loss as to what her boyfriend could _possibly_ be doing considering it was only 3:47 in the afternoon.

Hunk looked over her as if it were nothing new, entirely unphased by the question. “I’m hungry.” He answered, closing the door and entering the time in. The microwave lit up, humming as the turn table spun with a familiar meal on the plate. They had gone out to lunch that afternoon (both students needing to bring home a box), and the mechanical engineer was apparently heating up said leftovers.

Pidge raised a brow, crossing her arms in front of her. “You’re hungry?” Frankly, that wasn’t exactly a surprise. However, it had been a long morning of walking around town and grabbing a snack once they returned. “Hunk, it’s not even 4. We just finished up lunch around noon, and we just snacked a bit not even two hours ago. You couldn’t wait another 73 minutes or so until dinner?”

“You know me well enough by now. Besides, I’m a growing boy!” Of course. Leave it to Hunk to grab an early dinner. Then again, he had the tendency to be an early bird and go to bed early as a result.

The shorter shook her head, watching as her boyfriend pitched the Styrofoam container into the trash. “I don’t even know why I’m surprised anymore.” She answered, pushing Matt’s old glasses back up onto her nose. No, she didn’t need them. But since Matt had gotten contacts, Pidge had begun wearing the frames after the lenses had been replaced upon entering Garrison University the previous year.  

She turned back to the couch, pulling her Macbook Pro back up onto her lap and began typing away at an essay for Professor Harris’ class. Stupid code theory. Granted, it was interesting, but they had gone on about it long enough to where even the school’s resident tech genius had gotten fed up with it.

Of course, it had only been about five minutes before her stomach began to betray her for once, causing Pidge to glare at the microwave. No, she wasn’t picky, but she normally didn’t a lot at a time due not having a gigantic appetite. Usually, her body decided that the only times none of that applied were holidays and other special occasions.

Exhaling, Pidge set her laptop back on the coffee table, trudging back over to the kitchen and rummaging through the fridge. Finding her own Styrofoam container and emptying the contents onto a plate.

Hunk gave his girlfriend an amused grin, knowing she was likely to follow suit. Call it a boyfriend’s intuition. Then again, Pidge’s grumbling didn’t exactly make it difficult to put two and two together.

“Eating your leftovers, too?”

“Shut up.”


	4. Sound Sleeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge insists on homework, Hunk knows she needs sleep. Unfortunately, there is no effective way of keeping a nerd from their work.

**23:49**

“Pidge… It’s late.”

The student in question had been sitting at the kitchen table, typing away on her laptop with textbooks and notes covering the entirety of the table in Hunk’s apartment. It had been a few weeks into the semester, and Pidge had already been swamped with homework. Being a Friday night, the pair had just mutually agreed to have a sleepover so the smaller didn’t have to head back to her dorm.

“Your point?” Pidge pointed out, gaze fixed on the screen in front of her. Unsurprisingly, the techie had changed into a dark grey Star Wars shirt and black Darth Vader bottoms that used to belong to Matt… Until he grew out of them, that is.

“My point being that you have an exam first thing tomorrow morning. Cramming isn’t an effective study method.”

The techie shook her head. “I’m not cramming.” She answered. “And I’m not worried about the exam. I’m working on this God-awful assignment for my online class.”

Hunk raised a brow, padding across the apartment from his place on the couch in socked feet- wrapping his arms around the pint-sized genius and peering over her shoulder. “Yikes! Touching into the hard stuff this early on? I can’t imagine needing to code 1500 lines all at once…”

“It’s not difficult.” Pidge explained.  “Besides, this is me we’re talking about. It’s what I do for fun. It’s just so quiznacking tedious that it prevents me from getting a leg up on other things.” She could feel the senior’s disdain at her insistence, but knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him.

“Regardless of difficulty, it’s late.” Hunk prompted. “You don’t have to pack everything away. Just get to bed, and you can finish it tomorrow night. Besides, you need sleep.” The shorter was notorious for pulling all-nighters, especially in this semester with her workload… And he was determined to change that.

The sophomore rolled her eyes, shutting down her laptop and getting to her feet. “Fine.” She gave in. “I’ll finish it in the morning.”

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

**01:18**

Pidge starred over at the wall, nestled under the blankets... Said blankets trapping the heat created by the two students snuggled underneath. Unlike her peacefully sleeping boyfriend, the smaller lacked the ability to fall asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. God, she needed to get stuff done. Glancing over at Hunk, she carefully slipped out from his arms, terrified of waking him. Despite her caution, the only response from her boyfriend was his snoring. Sound sleeper... Should have seen that coming. 

Padding out in the kitchen, the computer science major settled back in her chair- opening her laptop and immediately muting it. She worked quietly, unknowing if her climbing out of bed had been a fluke or just a constant in Hunk's routine. However, it became more apparent despite the continuous click clack of the keys and the rustling of papers, the engineer wasn't going to wake up any time soon. 

Pidge exhaled, relaxing a bit. Knowing she wasn't going to wake her boyfriend, continued on with hashing out the remaining 473 lines of code from scratch. Finally. Get this stupid assignment out of the way so she could continue on with other things. Having her boyfriend sound asleep in the other room was incredibly reassuring. Finishing up her work, she shut down her laptop and loaded up everything into her backpack. The computer science major padded back into the bedroom, quietly sliding into the full-sized bed and curling up into her snoring boyfriend and fellow nerd. All in a night's work.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

**08:57**

"Pidge..."

Pidge stirred, nestling further under the covers- relishing in the warmth the comforter provided. After all... It was called a "comforter" for a reason.

"Pidgeon, come on. it's almost nine, and we promised Lance and Keith we would meet them for breakfast in half an hour."

The smaller groaned, rubbing at her eyes and sitting up to find Hunk sitting next to her. "Right..." She answered, running a hand through her hair and climbing out of bed. The other day they promised Keith and Lance they would all get together for breakfast at a local diner and just hang out for the day. 

Hunk couldn't help but smile, pecking her on the cheek. "Told you that you need sleep." He mused. Leave it to Pidge. If they didn't have anything going on, he would have let her sleep longer. After all, she needed it. 

"Speaking of which, did anyone tell you you're a sound sleeper?" Pidge asked casually, moving towards her backpack to fetch the clothes she'd packed to pull on. 

"What makes you say that?" 

The shorter shrugged, disappearing into the bathroom to change quick. 

"Pidge! Tell me!" The engineer whined, groaning as his girlfriend promptly shut the door on him. 

"You're a sound sleeper!" She called through the door. "I mean, I was moving around and packing stuff up last night because I couldn't sleep. I mean, I was worried that I'd wake you, but it quickly became apparent that there just was no waking you unless it was an emergency..." 

Hunk rolled his eyes. Pidge always had the tendency to ramble when she was trying to explain things. "You were doing homework last night, weren't you?"

"..."

"Pidge!"

"I needed to get it done!" Pidge insisted, pulling her sweater over her head and smoothing down her hair. Collecting her pajamas, she opened the door and moved to pack them away into her bag. "What did you expect me to do?!"

The senior raised a brow. "Um... Sleep?" He suggested. After all, he had been bugging his girlfriend to go to bed that night since ten. It didn't take a genius to figure out she needed it. "How late were you even up last night?"

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Hunk, it's no big deal." Pidge told him. "Really. It's not-"

"How late were you up?"

The shorter sighed. "Until 02:30..." She admitted. "But I got it all done, though!" She protested, looking up at her boyfriend with those soft honey eyes. "I couldn't sleep, so I figured why not? I mean, not everyone can just fall asleep as soon as they hit the pillow, hun." 

Hunk sighed, moving to engulf her in a hug. "I'll let that slide, but only because you were doing homework." He gave in. "But you're taking a nap later! I can't have my girlfriend pulling all-nighters as often as you do and continuously exhausting herself." He reached for his coat, pulling it on. "Even if we have to cuddle until you fall asleep."

Pidge tried to protest, but knew that there was no point. Not against Hunk. Besides- he would have scooped her up and tucked her into bed regardless. "Fine." She gave in. "I'll take a nap later...."


	5. Oreos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't go wrong with a movie marathon and snacks on a rainy Friday night. Despite the mundaneness of it all, Hunk gets his mind blown.

The rain beat down on the roof, making that evening perfect for a night in. Pidge had popped Star Trek into the DVD player while her boyfriend rummaged around for snacks. Because that's  _exactly_ how they planned to spend a wild Friday night- snacking and watching the new Star Trek trilogy.

"Hey, Pidge! Do you still want your Reese's Pieces?" Hunk called from the kitchen, moving things around in the cupboard that the pair ahd dubbed their stash. "Or do you want the bag of Snickers?"

Pidge nearly gagged at the thought of the later candy. "Reese's Pieces." She answered, stepping back and skipping through the plethora of previews. "Come on, Hunk. What are we? Animals?"

The taller nodded. "Right..." He answered, bringing the large back into the living room with a bowl of popcorn before disappearing back into the kitchen. "Peanut butter but not peanuts... Do you actually  _hate_ Snickers?"

"'Hate' is such a strong word for Snickers..." The techie mused. "I wouldn't say that. Snickers just confuse me. I mean, you have this perfection concoction of nougat and caramel, smothered in chocolate... And then you bite into it to find peanuts. It should be a crime, but they're delicious. Of course, then there are PayDays... Which should just be banned from existence."

Hunk raised a brow, walking back in with two glasses of milk, a bag of Mounds (because he wasn't sure if Pidge detested almonds just as much as peanuts), and an unopened package of double-stuffed Oreos. "Why PayDays?" He asked, setting it all on the coffee table before settling down on the couch.

"Because PayDays are the spawn of Satan." Pidge huffed, flopping on the couch next to her boyfriend and pouting like a child. "As well as black licorice, Now and Later's, Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies, and Milk Duds... They never should have seen the light of day. But back to PayDays, you may as well eat a handful of peanuts. There's not enough moisture content in those things!"

"Come here." Hunk laughed, pulling her in close. He reached for the remote, pushing 'play' as the main menu flashed across the screen. "Either way, Pidge, you don't have to deal with those. Relax and eat those Reese's Pieces." The mechanical engineer opened up the pack of Oreo's, grabbing a cookie from one of the rows before dunking it in the milk.

Pidge, however, was appalled by what her boyfriend had done. "What are you doing?!" She demanded- the senior's actions pulling her from her sulk on the couch. "You're just making things more difficult for yourself! Unnecessary work! Only savages dunk Oreo's in with their hands!"

The senior tilted his head, watching curiously as his girlfriend leapt up from the cough and pad into the kitchen. "Pidge, what are you talking about?" He asked; genuinely confused as he popped the cream-filled cookie into his mouth. "Everyone dunks their Oreo's in milk. What's the big deal?!"

"The big deal is that it's the most efficient way of eating Oreo's!" She complained, rummaging around in one of the drawers and quickly returning with a couple of forks. "Here." Pidge offered, handing one to the older student. 

"Pidge,  _no one_ uses a fork to eat Oreo's." Hunk countered, perplexed at his girlfriend's reasoning. "Seriously. No one does. It's ridiculous. You just don't see that! Everyone just dunks them with their fingers."

"It's a life hack." Pidge shrugged, sliding a cream-filled cookie onto the fork through the icing. "You'll thank me." Flipping the fork around, she promptly dunked the Oreo in the milk; letting it get soft before pulling it out and eating it right off the fork as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do.

Hunk stared at amazement- unknowing if he should feel idiotic or impressed. Truthfully, he was a combination of both. "Pidge... Seriously?! What?! I mean... Where did you even come up with this?!"

"Internet." She answered simply, reaching for another Oreo. "Saves your fingers and makes dunking the cookie with a low level of milk much easier. Now, pass the popcorn a little closer. I need something salty to combat all the sweet stuff we have going on here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not kidding- my boyfriend was entirely mind blown when I did this infront of him. absolutely hilarious. And I always imagined Pidge would love Reese's, be confused by Snickers, and then hate PayDay's with a passion.


	6. Blast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet night in turns into an entertaining one. Hot chocolate and a movie leads to the pair reminiscing about high school.

“So, remind me what this is again?”

Pidge had curled up on the couch, getting comfortable as Hunk sat down beside her- pulling his girlfriend close. Being the middle of winter, staying in to watch movies and tv (while nerding out the entire time) had become a common occurrence.

The mechanical engineer smiled, handing Pidge her hot chocolate (made with milk, topped with whipped cream and peanut butter chips) despite her protests. Tea or hot chocolate had rapidly become a staple when it came to staying in. “Basically, Drum Corps on Broadway…. Except they traveled from the US to open over in London. West End. All on stage, and extremely entertaining.”

The shorter couldn’t help but quirk a brow. “Oh?” She asked, genuinely curious. It was a little known fact that the two of them had participated in their fair share back in high school, but this was the best of the best. Neither of them exactly did sports, but would easily consider marching band one.

And would eagerly fight anyone who thought otherwise…

“Yeah. It’s difficult to put into words.” Hunk explained, pushing play and sipping at his own hot chocolate with vanilla and shredded coconut in addition to the whipped cream. “They do some really crazy stuff… My band director showed us this every year… And every year, he would have to make the disclaimer not to try any of this before even showing it.”

Pidge snorted into her drink, getting whipped cream all over her nose. “You’re joking!” She laughed, wiping the concoction off her face. “Actually, don’t answer that. Given the nature of the brass (namely trumpet players) and the drumline, that’s not surprising at all.”

“Piiiidge!” Hunk whined, watching as the lead snare kicked off the show. “Stop giving the brass a bad rap!”

“Mainly trumpets!” She emphasized. “And often trombones. You never see sousaphones or tubas doing dumb shit. And in the rare occasion they _do_ , the entire band hears about it.”

Eyes focusing on the screen, Pidge was immediately mesmerized by the vivid colors, the precise footwork, and the pure tones ringing through the theatre. The group was comprised of the best from the different Corps (most if not all) through the country… And said Corps having competed every year in the Drum Corps International… And said participants were high school/college students. The oldest anyone could be was 21. However, Blast became an extension of their music careers for many participants, acting as an extension of DCI.

“Woah…” Pidge breathed, hot chocolate still in hand and hardly touched from being so fixated on the screen. There truly weren’t any words. The music, the lighting, the choreography… Everything was so perfectly synchronized that it could take anyone’s breath away.

The pair snuggled up, watching and listening to the next few songs, sipping at their hot chocolates and adding their commentary when their attention wasn’t totally preoccupied with the marvel on the screen on front of them.

Hunk grinned, reaching for the remote and turning it up a bit. “Oh! This one’s good!” He commented. “This one’s hilarious. It’s as stereotypically trumpet as you can possibly get.”

“Wait…. Stereotypical trumpet player?” Pidge asked, genuinely intrigued. An easy base line picked up with light percussion from the rhythm section. Fun show. Okay. However, it wasn’t even 10 seconds in that various brass players walked on stage, dressed in black and donning sunglasses while carrying in a chair. She was about to say something, but the musicians had unfolded the chairs and began to dance with them while holding their instruments… French horns, tubas, trombones, trumpets…. Every single one of them dancing and snapping their fingers as they swayed their hips, stood on chairs, and kicked out their legs. Needless to say, it hadn’t even been 30 seconds in before the techie was in a fit of giggles.

Hunk was tempted to remove the hot chocolate from her hands… Just for now, but the song began to pick up and _truly_ start in. A trumpet player walked out center stage, sans the chair and shades, but donning a fedora. In true trumpet fashion, he began improving with the melody soaring out above everything else.

All while everyone else on stage joined in _while_ they were dancing and climbing on/off chairs.

“Okay… Now I can see why your director said not to try any of this.” Pidge laughed. “Seriously, though. _Stereotypical trumpet player_. This is hilarious! I’m sure if I tried this, I would fall right on my face!”

The senior raised a brow, looking down at his girlfriend. “Because of you just being a massive klutz or you being short?”

“Either. Or both. You decide.” The techie mused. “But climbing on and off chairs like that _while_ playing would not work well for me.”

Hunk looked her up and down, trying to pick her apart. “Bold, crafty, always up to something…” He murmured, mentally running through the list. “Trumpet player?” Pidge wasn’t the obnoxious or egocentric type, but he could see her with the brass instrument between her tiny hands.

“Clarinet.” Pidge corrected, watching a female French horn player swivel her hips and send the lead trumpet a wink before sitting down with everyone else. “I mean, come _on_! Do you even see these hands?! They’re TINY! Itty bitty little raccoon mitts. When I’m not excited about something, I’m quite mellow.”

“Right… Makes sense.” The engineer commented, sipping at his drink and rolling his eyes. “Stupid woodwinds. Always annoying and squeaky with notes that only dogs can hear.”

Pidge gasped, staring at her boyfriend with a hand on her chest in mock offense. “Hey! You watch your mouth!” She scolded, pulling her feet up on the couch and finally paying more attention to her hot chocolate. Thankfully, it hadn’t gone cold yet in the ceramic mug.

Hunk chuckled, tilting her head towards him and lightly pecking the smaller. “Okay, I guess they’re not all bad.” He caved knowingly. Being a tuba player, he wasn’t at all used to the higher screeches of beginning woodwind musicians.

They sat few a few more songs before a Latin-inspired melody picked up. Various brass players were scattered through the auditorium with a lone tuba player on stage aside from the percussion. All of a sudden, another walked up and tapped the first on the shoulder. Though he wasn't too thrilled, he was allowed to sit down and join. It wasn't long before a third came in. And a fourth.. Each one walking on stage and sitting down despite the first tuba player's protests. However, there was nothing he could do about it. 

"No way!!" The techie gasped, holding her side from laughing too much. "Are they serious?"

"As the plague." The taller confirmed. "Now shut up and watch! It gets better."

Pidge stared at her boyfriend owlishly. "Better?" She echoed. After all, how could it  _possibly_ get better than this?!

A few trumpet players and trombonists formed a line behind the group, emphasising the chorus and furthering the Latin flair. Both college students were in stitches, needing to set down their drinks as tuba player after tuba player walked out on stage and continued the line. There had to had been at least 16 of them on stage by this point when the last one walked on, trying to find a space to sit down. Being no room, none of the others tried to shoo him away. So, the first few refused, but they kept refusing, even as the last one traveled down the line. Somehow, he got the idea to sit next to the original tuba player- squeezing in and making room. 

If the couple hadn't died of laughter yet, they have now. 

As their laughter began to finally subside, the tuba players left the stage one by one as the song played out- disappearing as quickly and suddenly as they had come on. Shaking her head, Pidge reached out to take her hot chocolate back, sipping on the sweet concoction 

"You know, hun..." She murmured, kissing her boyfriend softly. "I've had many tuba players walk into my life... And you're the only one who's bothered to stay like the last one."

Hunk chuckled softly, playfully scooping up a little whipped cream and dabbing it on the tip of Pidge's nose. He understood the meaning of the metaphor... That out of all the people she's met in school, he was the only one to form this deep of a connection with her.

"If that's the case, Pidgeon, I plan on sticking around for quite some time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that took longer than I thought! I hope this chapter doesn't feel too rushed. It's nearly 1 AM when I finished this chapter up. 
> 
> Blast is amazing if you haven't heard of them... Very much like Stomp, but with actual instruments. The songs mentioned are "Everybody Loves the Blues" (which pokes fun at trumpet stereotypes/tropes) and "Land of Make Believe" (a game of 'How Many Tubas Can You Cram on a Stage?'). Both songs are incredibly entertaining and have their own sense of comedy to it.
> 
> "Everybody Loves the Blues": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oK9S2YL_kw&list=RDOSFe5MrudRE&index=6
> 
> "Land of Make Believe": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAgQFn1a-I0


	7. A Matching Set

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge and Hunk recall childhood memories as they discover a surprising commonality while shopping.

Pidge and Hunk trudged through the parking lot, the automatic door sliding open as they entered their local Walmart. It was late, 9:29, and the pair needed to pick up a few things each. The lights in the store were far too bright for Pidge’s liking, but they pressed on towards the grocery shopping to get the engineer’s list out of the way first.

“Hey, Pidge.” The senior commented, briefly letting go of her hands (he would _never_ get over just how tiny her hands were) and holding up his own. He paused in the aisle, showing his girlfriend his right hand compared to his left.  The pinky on his right was bent a bit further than his left at an awkward angle, creating a noticeable gap where it didn’t quite sit flush with his ring finger. “See this? I was about three when I got caught in the oven door. Obviously, it wasn’t on, but it still hurt like hell. Mom felt horrible. Took me to the ER and everything, but there wasn’t really much they could do. I mean, I think they put a splint on it, but that’s about it, really.”

The techie’s honey-colored eyes went wide, immediately taking Hunk’s hand and showing him her left. “Same here!” Pidge laughed. Her left was in the same condition- awkwardly bent with a bit of a gap. It lay flat, but also refused to lay flush against her ring finger. “You know those baby swings they used to have? You know… Those brightly colored plastic ones that people hung outside with the contrasting bar across the front?”

Hunk nodded, curious to hear where Pidge was going with all this.

“I was almost 2 when it happened. My mom sat me in the seat and pulled the blue plastic bar down to keep me in. As she did and went to secure it, she slammed it on my pinky. Immediately felt bad about it.” Though she didn’t remember the incident, Pidge could remember that swing- bright yellow secured by yellow rope with a blue plastic bit that slid down and bucked in so the child wouldn’t fall out. “Like, instant guilt type of horrible. She didn’t bother taking me because there really isn’t much that can be done. I apparently terrified Matt, and he didn’t even do it!”

The mechanical engineer smiled, moving behind her and holding out his right hand next to his left. “Look at that.” He mused, looking down as Pidge kissed him softly.

For anyone looking on, the sight was cavity-inducing. But they had to be honest- no one was really around in their local Walmart at 9:30 at night.

“A matching set.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I'm sorry this one is so short! Some of these are worth adding, but they're not going to be all all that long. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it just the same.
> 
> Yes, that actually did happen with me and the swing. My mom felt terrible about it. And yes, my boyfriend has the same thing going on with his hand. Had to change it to better align with Hunk, though. For those of you who are curious, it doesn't hurt, and it functions just fine. The only thing is that the pinky doesn't sit quite right up against the ring finger.
> 
> For those of you who are curious, this is the picture of the swing that I remember having when I was little:  
> https://www.bistrodre.com/ideas-for-baby-porch-swing/baby-porch-swing-ideas/


	8. Cookies Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge makes cookies. Not homemade. No. The stuff in the packages where all you do is add an egg and a little water. Instant cookes. So... It can't possibly be that difficult, right?

Pidge ran a hand through her hair, dropping everything on the counter of the 2nd floor kitchen of her residence hall, scanning the mess in front of her. Two bags of instant cookie mix, two cookie sheets, baking paper, two eggs, a spoon, a large bowl, and measuring spoons. Well, the mix and eggs were hers. All the supplies were tucked away in the cupboards.

God, what was she even doing.

The sophomore moved to the oven, turning the dial. 350 degrees. According to the instructions, that is.

Pidge stepped back, looking over towards the oven and back to the mountain of supplies on the counter. The packages of mix seemed to mock her; the bowl, spoon, and cookie sheets looming over her. She’s baked before. Made peanut butter cookies all the time with her mom. She aced Chemistry I _and_ II back in high school. After working with chemicals that can leave serious burns and eat away at countertops without incident, surely reading directions on the back of prepackaged cookie mix was no issue.

She tore open the package of the first mix (oatmeal chocolate chip) and dumped the contents into the mixing bowl before tossing the package in the trash.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, dump contents into bowl, add an egg, and….

How much water did she need?

Fuck.

Digging back in the trash (thankfully having been emptied), the techie pulled out the plastic packaging, setting it on a nearby counter before washing her hands again.

Why was she even doing this?!

Oh.

That’s right.

Because her professor decided to cancel class for the day, and everything she could think of was already done.

Her mom had sent her the packets when she went back for the semester, figuring it would be fun.

Now bored out of her mind with nothing to do and no class…. Why not?

It was worth a shot.

But damn it all for mindlessly tossing the baggie in the trash when she thought she knew it all!

Did this happen to everyone?!

Pidge shook her head, cracking an egg and tossing the shells in the trash before moving to the sink for the third time in 10 minutes, wanting nothing more than to wash off this mess off her hands.

Yes, she can crack an egg without getting pieces of shell into everything.

No, she wasn’t an expert.

Or ‘eggspert’.

The techie rolled her eyes, knowing Lance would make a scene if he ever heard her. Thank god he had class…. And didn’t live in this residence hall.

So, not an expert, but she could crack an egg.

She looked down at the instructions, glancing at them before doing a double take.

“Wait… How much water?!”

Pidge looked at the instructions again, staring at the writing before looking back at the bowl. This couldn’t be right. This had to be a misprint!

1 tbs. water

1 tablespoon of water.

Nope.

Not a misprint.

There was a solid amount of dry ingredients piled in the bowl from the singular packet. Between the oven egg and the little amount of water, there was no _way_ these cookies would hold together! This didn’t add up!

But…. Instructions were instructions. So Pidge simply did as she was told before mixing the concoction together.  Half of it still seemed dry, but if Chemistry had taught her anything, messing with the formula could prove to be disastrous. This was either a misprint or how much water was actually needed. The only way to find out was to make these stupid cookies.

It took about five minutes of stirring, but the sophomore was finally able to get the entire mixture into a texture that could hold some sort of shape. She quickly lined the cookie sheets before moving back to the dough. Using a couple of spoons, she scooped up the mixture dropping lumps onto the paper.

It didn’t look right. Something felt off.

And the form was bothering her. Pushing up the sleeves of her sweatshirt, she picked up each of the little clumps, rolling them around in her hands and dropping the balls back on the paper. That looked better.

But was the spacing right?

These were small cookies. The right size according to the instructions. There was no way they would spread out that much.

Moving to the sink for the fourth time, Pidge repeated the cycle of washing her hands before throwing the cookie sheets in the oven.

9 to 11 minutes… That should be long enough to start on the next batch.

The techie reached over, immediately washing the bowl. No point in getting another out and make more dishes for herself. She tossed the instructions for the oatmeal chocolate chip, ripping open the second packet and dumping the contents into the momentarily clean mixing bowl.

Sugar cookies with M&M’s.

This time, Pidge was careful, double checking everything. Same temp, one egg, one tablespoon of water. Perfect. Knowing what she was doing, it didn’t take long before a bowl of cookie dough with brightly colored chunks sat in front of her.

She took the moment, satisfied with her work, knowing that everything was going to be fine.

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

_Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep._

“Shut up! I know!”

_Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep._

Pidge reached down, reaching for a nearby towel she had brought opening the door to check the cookies.

They were soft.

Almost too soft.

Were they done?

They didn’t look done.

Once again, Pidge fished out the instructions.

_‘Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are golden around the edges’_

Well, they definitely weren’t golden. With a huff, the techie shut the door, adding two more minutes to the timer before washing up…. Again.

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

_Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep._

Finally. Reaching for the towel, Pidge quickly pulled the sheets from the oven, leaving them on the burners of the stove before grabbing a paper plate and a Zip-lock to deposit them all in.  With the makeshift oven mitt, she used the turner to quickly transfer the cookies over. Upon lifting up the first, the techie glared at the treat as the underside came into view.

It was black.

The cookies were  golden as the instructions described, falling apart, but complete charcoal underneath.  

_HOW?!_

She followed the instructions EXACTLY! _HOW WERE THEY STILL BLACK?!?!_

It didn’t matter. She still had another batch to toss in the oven. Pidge transferred all the cookies over, rolled up all the M&M cookies, and slid the cookie sheets back in the oven. 11-13 minutes according to the instructions. Better keep an eye on these.

The computer science major tossed the dishes in the sink, washing and drying them before turning back to the fiendish oatmeal chocolate chip. They sat there mocking her in their oxymoron glory. The complete paradox that was burnt yet potentially underdone at the same time. Better try one. See how burnt they really were.

The cookies were still warm, still soft. But, not fresh-from-the-oven hot. Reluctantly, she picked it up and took a bite.

Burnt.

Soft.

But the melted chocolate chips saved it.

“Well, these are going to have to do….” Pidge muttered, finishing up the cookie and zipping up the bag before glancing over to the oven. She had left the oven light on to constantly keep an eye on these suckers. There was no way she was letting these burn.

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

_Beep-Beep. Beep-Beep. Beep-B-_

Pidge opened the oven door, not taking any chances. 11 minutes. These should be fine! The cookies will be fine. This will not be a repeat of the dreaded oatmeal chocolate chip.

Right?

She immediately began to transfer them as soon as they were pulled from the oven- golden cookies with little fireworks of color.

Off the cookie sheet, over to the second plate-

Burnt.

Again.

_“HOW?!”_  Pidge explained, staring in bewilderment as she dropped it on the plate, turning off the oven, the light, and leaving the door cracked so it cold cool. The sugar cookies with M&M’s turned out just like the oatmeal chocolate chip:

Golden. Falling apart. Burnt.

Not charcoal, thank God, but definitely dark on the bottom. Needing a pick-me-up, the techie reached for a cookie from the first batch. Chocolate. The chocolate was fine. It would help cancel out the burnt taste.

The cookie was completely cool- no longer falling apart, but more like an actual cookie.

Unfortunately, the cooled chips weren’t enough to save it.

“NOPE!” Pidge picked up the entire thing depositing them in the trash before cleaning up the kitchen for good. “Nope. Nope. Nope. Absolutely not!” That’s it. She was done. She was done making pre-mixed cookies. Leave the baking to Hunk and her mother. She followed the instructions! There was nothing stating anything otherwise!

Needless to say, the techie was entirely done with trying to salvage the situation. Everything cleaned up and put away, Pidge closed the oven and hauled the second batch to her dorm for later.

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

“So you _did_ make the cookies after all.”

Pidge raised a brow up at her boyfriend, forest beanie pulled down over her ears and entirely not amused as she flopped into a kitchen chair. Hunk had looked up from a term paper he had to write, opening the door to find his girlfriend holding a plate of M&M sugar cookies protected by the power of Zip-lock with the expression of a cat left out in the rain.

“Shut it. I don’t want to talk about it.”

The engineer laughed, opening them up and shoving a cookie in his mouth. “Come on, Pidgeon. These are fine. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

So… Hunk wasn’t entirely lying. She had tasted one after they had cooled, and the sugar cookies weren’t nearly as atrocious as the oatmeal chocolate chip.

The shorter merely shook her head, frankly never wanting to see another cookie for the rest of the semester. “Oh…. You have _no_ idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I apologize for being on hiatus. My motivation has finally returned, and I'm under less stress now. With that said, I have lots of chapters planned with everything that happened over the past two months. You will laugh, you'll probably cry, but it's all Punk fluff all the same... Or Hidge. Whichever you decide to call it. There will be a couple of longer chapters here and there, so hopefully that makes up for everything. 
> 
> And yes. This actually happened to me. I bake. I like to bake, and I have fun with it. I'm no professional, but I'm pretty good. But apparently, that was not a day that the cookies wanted to work for me.


	9. The Last Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Okay, so it's the next day. Apparently, some people wait until the last minute. 
> 
> Thankfully for Hunk, his shopping has already been taken care of.

**February 13 th**

**8:38 PM**

Hunk rubbed his eyes pushing the cart towards the self-checkout. He needed groceries, but the engineer wanted nothing more than to snuggle with Pidge and just watch an anime that’s new to them or play some video games. But, the shopping needed to be done, and he simply didn’t have the time until now.

Reaching into his cart, he pulled out a few items before scanning them. Most of what he had was just restocking the essentials, the pantry staples, so there wouldn’t need to buy more for a while. Who did their grocery shopping this late at night anyway?! It was boring.

Last time Hunk wandered into the local Walmart late at night, Pidge had been with him. About a week and a half ago. At least it had proven to be entertaining. But, said girlfriend had been working on a new program for one of her classes, with what seemed like endless lines of code, and had thusly holed herself up in her dorm.

Best not disturb Pidge while she’s working. The last time he did that, she crawled back out of bed and finished it anyway.

When Pidge is working, there is no stopping her.

A commotion nearby had pulled Hunk out of his thoughts, distractedly looking over towards where the several aisles of cards and other party supplies were displayed.

This was new…

Hunk, having scanned a little over half of the items from his cart already, stopped what he was doing, wondering if what he was witnessing before him was real or some sleep deprived hallucination from finishing up his final year at Garrison University.

It was common to have the boyfriend, husband, fiancé, or whoever leave any sort of gift-giving for any occasion for the last minute. It was expected… So much so that it had become a stereotype for decades. Usually, you see them wandering, trying to scrounge up something from whatever’s left. Pretty easy to spot.  

What _wasn’t_ common was to witness 15-20 men in their 50’s and 60’s suddenly descend upon the section of the display littered with Valentine’s Day cards like a school of piranha.

And apparently, none of these men had come in together.

Talk about waiting until the last minute.

Good thing he had taken care of that two weeks prior.

Finishing up with the groceries, Hunk paid for the goods and decided now was definitely the best time to get out of here.

As he crossed the parking lot to his truck, the engineer couldn’t help but wonder how this even happened. Not the fact that these men have either procrastinated or forgot, but the fact that there were so many in one place at the same time of the same age demographic and _NONE_ of this was planned.

Groceries in the back seat, Hunk slid in behind the wheel, pulling out his phone. Did he dare? Pidge might get mad at him for interrupting her work. But then again, this was something that he couldn’t just let it go. Flicking through his messages, he paused upon landing on his girlfriend’s contact.

Worst case scenario, she would be mad at him. That was a given.

Best case scenario, hopefully it would put a smile on her face and ease her up a bit.

Pidge was going to hurt herself from working like that.

Deciding that what had happened was worth the risk, Hunk opened it up (not that he ever really closed it), and hashed out a text before a potential second wave came in.

**Honey-Badger  
** _So… you know how lots of people procrastinate for different things… Like birthdays and Christmas?_

**Pidgeon  
** _Yeah……_

**Pidgeon  
**_Did_ you _forget?_

**Honey-Badger  
** _Pidge, you know I’ve been holding it over your head for two weeks now._

**Pidgeon  
** _True…._

**Pidgeon  
** _The only reason why I believe you is that you’ve been suspicious and won’t let me in your room anymore._

**Honey-Badger  
** _Well, you’re never going to believe this…._

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

Pidge exhaled, staring at her phone; blanket wrapped around her, tea nearby, and her laptop the only other source of light in her dorm. There was no way. There was no way any of this happened. Hunk _had_ to be messing with her. But he doesn’t pull on over on someone like that. He just doesn’t.

Shaking her head, a smile spread across her face. This was going to be something her boyfriend would just _have_ to tell her tomorrow.

And she couldn’t wait to hear every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably won't happen too much, but I knew this one had to be Hunk's point of view since I personally wasn't there. However, it was just bizarre enough that you can't possibly make this up. But from the sound of it, I really wanted to be there.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, all of these chapters are going to be quite short. However, they're just little glimpses. All of these events HAVE actually happened, sometimes tweaked here and there to make a little more sense. My boyfriend and I are very much like Hunk and Pidge respectively, which inspired all this in the first place, but these are exactly the kinds of things that would actually happen between them
> 
> Hun, you are such a bright light in my life, and I am incredibly blessed to have you. You are the Yellow to my Green, and I couldn't possibly be luckier to have you in my life. Happy (belated) Valentine's Day. -Your Permanently Exhausted "Pidgeon"


End file.
